By Sarah Richardson
American Idol is easily one of America’s most iconic and well-known TV shows, which is no surprise considering it has been on the air for 18 seasons and nearly 600 episodes. With an average view count in the multi-millions every week, it’s no wonder the show’s contestants often become America’s sweethearts.
Clay County’s very own Zack Dobbins has seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take his talents all the way to Hollywood after wowing celebrity judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie with his musical talents at a preliminary audition in Washington, DC.
“I grew up on music because my grandpa played bluegrass, and then my dad played,” Zack said. “Music is a passion. You just gotta do what you like, and if nobody likes it, then that’s too bad, ‘cause you do.”
His humble attitude and matter-of-fact demeanor quickly struck a chord with the judges, and after his performance of his original song “Miss Use,” they were quick to approve him to move on to the next round.
“I don’t think you know what you’re doing, but I don’t think you need to know what you’re doing,” said Katy Perry. “You’ve got a sound. You’re so authentic. A lot of these people out here, they’re polished, they’ve been to some fancy school. They know ‘blah blah blah’ and they can’t sing half as good as you.”
Lionel Richie said, “Let me tell you what you did that was fabulous for me. You’re giving us heart and soul and real, you just stay being like you.”
Luke Bryan shared Zack’s audition video to his Facebook page, and it quickly racked up 2.2 million views, over 4,000 shares, and thousands of comments. It’s clear to see that while Zack is locally known for his music, he’ll soon be known nationally for his talents.